October 2023 – FEMYSO

The Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO) is deeply concerned about the alarming rise in Islamophobia in the wake of the escalating conflict in Palestine and Israel.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all of the victims and their families. Recent events have once again shed light on the urgent need for international action to address the root causes of this prejudice and to promote peace, justice, and respect for all.

Islamophobia perpetuates a cycle of discrimination and hatred against Muslim communities, making it essential to understand that this prejudice does not reflect the values of the majority but is perpetuated by a minority who exploit conflict to advance their hateful ideologies.

FEMYSO calls upon governments and law enforcement agencies in Europe to address the issue of discriminatory policing. No one should be subjected to biased profiling, harassment, or unequal treatment based on their religion, ethnicity, or origin. It is the duty of governments to uphold the principles of justice, equality, and human rights for all their citizens, irrespective of their background.

It is only through dialogue, cooperation, and respect for international law and an end to the occupation that we can hope to bring an end to this long-standing crisis, and with it, the associated Islamophobia and discriminatory policing targeting Muslim populations in Europe protesting against injustice.

These protests are inspired by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. European governments and institutions should prioritise diplomatic efforts to prevent further loss of life and casualties, instead of providing “carte blanche” to the security apparatus to punish those emotionally affected by the situation.

FEMYSO believes that countering Islamophobia requires collaborative efforts. Our organisation commits to working hand in hand with European governments, educational institutions, and civil society organisations to challenge stereotypes, promote dialogue, and foster a sense of unity and belonging among all citizens, regardless of their religious or ethnic backgrounds.

We call on the European media to responsibly report on conflicts, ensuring that coverage is balanced, unbiased, and devoid of any negative stereotypes that can perpetuate Islamophobia. Likewise, it is imperative for governments to protect the rights of all their citizens, regardless of their religion or ethnicity, and to hold those who engage in hate crimes accountable for their actions.

We reiterate our commitment to promoting peace, justice, and intercultural understanding. It is only through collective efforts and the rejection of hatred and prejudice that we can hope for a future where all people, regardless of their faith, can live in harmony and mutual respect.

We call on European leaders to work together in addressing this pressing issue and creating a more inclusive and peaceful world for all.

[ENDS]

Notes

1. FEMYSO (est. 1996) is a network organisation for 32 Muslim youth and student organisations across 22 European countries, and is the leading voice for European Muslim youth, developing and empowering them, and working to build a more diverse, cohesive and vibrant Europe.

2. For more information or requests please email media@femyso.org

The European Action Day Against Islamophobia (EADAI) is an annual event on the 21st of September and marks a major opportunity to raise awareness on the issue of anti-Muslim hatred. It was established by the advocacy and campaigning of FEMYSO together with other organizations and institutions. EADAI creates the opportunity to share facts, lived experiences, and tools to address Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred in Europe. To mark this day, FEMYSO organized a conference hosted at the European Parliament, Brussels, to bring together young Muslims from across the continent with stakeholders at an EU institutional level. In 2023, EADAI is more critical than ever as we witness the rise in Islamophobia in most European countries and its normalization by governing institutions.

The conference hosted approximately 40 young Muslim youth leaders from across Europe and featured two panels with Q&A sessions after each. FEMYSO’s Vice-President Nadia El Faroukhi opened the Conference and highlighted the importance of the event in the current political landscape. Her words were followed by a keynote speech by the honourable MEP Brando Benifei who has always been an incredible ally for the cause of Muslim youth.

The first panel was titled ‘Islamophobia in 2023: Shrinking of the civic space, and top-down vs. bottom-up challenges’ and was chaired by James Kanter, political commentator and host of the podcast EUScreams. Attendees heard from academics, journalists, and human rights advocates on the current European context and anti-Muslim hatred. The panelists were Shada Islam, political commentator and analyst, Eve Geddie, Director of Amnesty International’s EU Office, and Farid Hafez, co-editor of the annual European Islamophobia Report). After the session, several participants asked pertinent questions and there were contacts exchanged between speakers and attendees to continue the conversations beyond the event.

The second panel’s title was forward-looking, and covered “Safe-guarding future-policies, 2024 EP Elections and Muslim European Voters”. Areeq Chowdhury, Head of Policy at the Royal Society and Labour Party Councillor from the UK, shared his expertise and answered questions on the issue of discrimination in AI. The contributions of Hania Chalal, activist and the former president of Muslim Students of France (Etudiants Musulmans de France – EMF), were insightful for the situation of French Muslim women and advocacy in the aftermath of the French abaya ban in schools. FEMYSO was pleased to host the Director of the European Network Against Racism, Kim Smoulter, and the Director of Policy and Advocacy for the European Youth Forum, Ozgecan Kara.

The role that institutions have in upholding and spreading anti-Muslim sentiment, is a topic especially poignant to FEMYSO, due to the shocking revelations this year from the smear campaign that FEMYSO and other major organizations faced. As revealed in a year-long joint investigation by European Investigative Collaborations, this campaign aimed to destroy FEMYSO’s reputation and marginalize the young people we represent in public life. It has resulted in increased censorship and the removal of our representatives from important events and youth advisory bodies and has hindered the historical cooperation between European institutions and FEMYSO. FEMYSO, therefore, is calling for clear and effective European strategies to tackle the growing issue of systemic Islamophobia.

With the endemic stigmatization and exclusion of Muslims from all areas of life, FEMYSO wants to create a space to discuss future-looking policies and how these are likely to affect the lived experience of young Muslims in Europe. With the known concerns of bias in artificial intelligence systems, and how this risk impacts young people in the job market, in their access to education, or simply existence in public spaces; upcoming European Elections, and the expected rise in Islamophobic rhetoric; FEMYSO believes that it is vital that diverse stakeholders are brought together to discuss policies on these critical issues.

On Thursday 21^st of September 2023, FEMYSO was proud to have hosted an event that explored the different manifestations of Islamophobia, with specific attention to youth. Different institutional representatives and civil society organizations working on youth, education, and discrimination presented their inputs and findings to ensure an inclusive and effective approach to addressing Islamophobia. In line with our human rights to freedom of faith and right to security, it is essential that young Muslims are free to practice their faith and in their rights as individuals in Europe today. We look forward to welcoming more attendees at next year’s conference, EADAI24.